[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 140 (Thursday, August 5, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5974-S5975]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SA 2595. Mr. KELLY (for himself and Mr. Cornyn) submitted an
amendment intended to be proposed to amendment SA 2137 proposed by Mr.
Schumer (for Ms. Sinema (for herself, Mr. Portman, Mr. Manchin, Mr.
Cassidy, Mrs. Shaheen, Ms. Collins, Mr. Tester, Ms. Murkowski, Mr.
Warner, and Mr. Romney)) to the bill H.R. 3684, to authorize funds for
Federal-aid highways, highway safety programs, and transit programs,
and for other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as
follows:
At the appropriate place in title II of division E, insert
the following:
SEC. 502__. URBAN WATERS FEDERAL PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM.
(a) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Administrator.--The term ``Administrator'' means the
Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency.
(2) Member agencies.--The term ``member agencies'' means
each of--
(A) the Environmental Protection Agency;
(B) the Department of the Interior;
(C) the Department of Agriculture;
(D) the Corps of Engineers;
(E) the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration;
(F) the Economic Development Administration;
(G) the Department of Housing and Urban Development;
(H) the Department of Transportation;
(I) the Department of Energy;
(J) the Department of Education;
(K) the National Institute for Environmental Health
Sciences;
(L) the Community Development Financial Institutions Fund;
(M) the Federal Emergency Management Agency;
(N) the Corporation for National and Community Service; and
(O) such other agencies, departments, and bureaus that
elect to participate in the Urban Waters program as the
missions, authorities, and appropriated funding of those
agencies, departments, and bureaus allow.
(3) Secretaries.--The term ``Secretaries'' means the
Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture.
(4) Urban waters ambassador.--The term ``Urban Waters
ambassador'' means a person who--
(A) is locally based near the applicable Urban Waters
partnership location; and
(B) serves in a central coordinating role for the work
carried out in the applicable Urban Waters partnership
location with respect to the Urban Waters program.
(5) Urban waters nonpartnership location.--The term ``Urban
Waters nonpartnership location'' means an urban or municipal
site and the associated watershed or waterbody of the site--
(A) that receives Federal support for activities that
advance the purpose of the Urban Waters program; but
(B)(i) that is not formally designated as an Urban Waters
partnership location; and
(ii) for which is not maintained--
(I) an active partnership with an Urban Waters ambassador;
or
(II) an Urban Waters partnership location workplan.
(6) Urban waters partnership location.--The term ``Urban
Waters partnership location'' means an urban or municipal
site and the associated watershed or waterbody of the site
for which--
(A) the Administrator, in collaboration with the heads of
the other member agencies, has formally designated as a
partnership location under the Urban Waters program; and
(B) an active partnership with an Urban Waters ambassador
is maintained.
(7) Urban waters partnership location workplan.--The term
``Urban Waters partnership location workplan'' means the plan
for projects and actions that is coordinated across an Urban
Waters partnership location.
(8) Urban waters program.--The term ``Urban Waters
program'' means the program established under subsection
(b)(1).
(b) Urban Waters Federal Partnership Program.--
(1) Authorization.--There is authorized a program, to be
known as the ``Urban Waters Federal Partnership Program'',
administered by the partnership of the member agencies--
(A) to jointly support and execute the goals of the Urban
Waters program through the independent authorities and
appropriated funding of the member agencies; and
(B) to advance the purpose described in paragraph (2)
within designated Urban Waters partnership locations and
other urban and suburban communities in the United States.
(2) Program purpose.--The purpose of the Urban Waters
program is to reconnect urban communities, particularly urban
communities that are overburdened or economically distressed,
with associated waterways by improving coordination among
Federal agencies.
(3) Program requirements.--
(A) In general.--Subject to the availability of
appropriations, the Administrator, in coordination with the
Secretaries and, as appropriate, the heads of the other
member agencies, shall maintain the Urban Waters program in
accordance with this paragraph.
(B) Urban waters federal partnership steering committee.--
(i) Establishment.--
(I) In general.--The Administrator shall establish a
steering committee for the Urban Waters program (referred to
in this subparagraph as the ``steering committee'').
(II) Chair.--The Administrator shall serve as chairperson
of the steering committee.
(III) Vice-chairs.--The Secretaries shall serve as vice-
chairpersons of the steering committee.
(IV) Membership.--In addition to the Administrator and the
Secretaries, the members of the steering committee shall be
the senior officials (or their designees) from such member
agencies as the Administrator shall designate.
(ii) Duties.--The steering committee shall provide general
guidance to the member agencies with respect to the Urban
Waters program, including guidance with respect to--
(I) the identification of annual priority issues for
special emphasis within Urban Waters partnership locations;
and
(II) the identification of funding opportunities, which
shall be communicated to all Urban Waters partnership
locations.
(iii) Interagency financing.--Notwithstanding section 1346
of title 31, United States Code, section 708 of division E of
the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (Public Law 116-
260), or any other similar provision of law, member agencies
may--
(I) provide interagency financing to the steering
committee; and
[[Page S5975]]
(II) directly transfer such amounts as are necessary to
support the activities of the steering committee.
(C) Authority.--
(i) Partnership locations.--
(I) Partnership locations.--The Administrator and the
Secretaries shall maintain an active partnership program
under the Urban Waters program at each Urban Waters
partnership location, including each Urban Waters partnership
location in existence on the date of enactment of this Act,
by providing--
(aa) technical assistance for projects to be carried out
within the Urban Waters partnership location;
(bb) funding for projects to be carried out within the
Urban Waters partnership location;
(cc) funding for an Urban Waters ambassador for the Urban
Waters partnership location; and
(dd) coordination support with other member agencies with
respect to activities carried out at the Urban Waters
partnership location.
(II) New partnership locations.--
(aa) In general.--The Administrator and the Secretaries
may, in consultation with the heads of other member agencies,
establish new Urban Waters partnership locations.
(bb) Nonpartnership locations.--A community with an Urban
Waters nonpartnership location may, at the discretion of the
community, seek to have the Urban Waters nonpartnership
location designated as an Urban Waters partnership location.
(ii) Authorized activities.--
(I) Definition of eligible entity.--In this clause, the
term ``eligible entity'' means--
(aa) a State;
(bb) a territory or possession of the United States;
(cc) the District of Columbia;
(dd) an Indian Tribe;
(ee) a unit of local government;
(ff) a public or private institution of higher education;
(gg) a public or private nonprofit institution;
(hh) an intertribal consortium;
(ii) an interstate agency; and
(jj) any other entity determined to be appropriate by the
Administrator.
(II) Activities.--In carrying out the Urban Waters program,
a member agency may encourage, cooperate with, and render
technical services to and provide financial assistance to
support--
(aa) Urban Water ambassadors to conduct activities with
respect to the applicable Urban Waters partnership location,
including--
(AA) convening the appropriate Federal and non-Federal
partners for the Urban Waters partnership location;
(BB) developing and carrying out an Urban Waters
partnership location workplan;
(CC) leveraging available Federal and non-Federal resources
for projects within the Urban Waters partnership location;
and
(DD) sharing information and best practices with the Urban
Waters Learning Network established under clause (iii); and
(bb) an eligible entity in carrying out--
(AA) projects at Urban Water partnership locations that
provide habitat or water quality improvements, increase river
recreation, enhance community resiliency, install
infrastructure, strengthen community engagement with and
education with respect to water resources, or support
planning, coordination, and execution of projects identified
in the applicable Urban Waters partnership location workplan;
and
(BB) planning, research, experiments, demonstrations,
surveys, studies, monitoring, training, and outreach to
advance the purpose described in paragraph (2) within Urban
Waters partnership locations and in Urban Waters
nonpartnership locations.
(III) Transfer of funds.--In carrying out the Urban Waters
program, a member agency may transfer funds to or enter into
interagency agreements with other member agencies as
necessary to carry out the Urban Waters program.
(iii) Urban waters learning network.--The Administrator and
the Secretaries shall maintain an Urban Waters Learning
Network--
(I) to share information, resources, and tools between
Urban Waters partnership locations and with other interested
communities; and
(II) to carry out community-based capacity building that
advances the goals of the Urban Waters program.
(iv) Workplan progress.--Progress in addressing the goals
of the Urban Waters partnership location workplan of an Urban
Waters partnership location shall be shared with the Urban
Waters program at regular intervals, as determined by the
Administrator and the Secretaries.
(4) Reports to congress.--The Administrator and the
Secretaries shall annually submit to the appropriate
committees of Congress a report describing the progress in
carrying out the Urban Waters program, which shall include--
(A) a description of the use of funds under the Urban
Waters program;
(B) a description of the progress made in carrying out
Urban Waters partnership location workplans; and
(C) any additional information that the Administrator and
the Secretaries determine to be appropriate.
(5) Authorization of appropriations.--
(A) In general.--There is authorized to be appropriated to
the Administrator to carry out the Urban Waters program
$10,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2022 through 2026.
(B) Use of funds.--Notwithstanding any other provision of
law, activities carried out using amounts made available to
the Administrator under subparagraph (A) may be used in
conjunction with amounts made available from--
(i) other member agencies; and
(ii) non-Federal entities that participate in the Urban
Waters program.
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